Our research program views any given conditioned response as the expression of a specialized learning system with evolutionary and neurological significance. Thus gustatory cues are effective signals (CS) when paired with internal visceral illness (US) but not effective when paired with cutaneous pain (US). On the other hand, telereceptive (visual, auditory) cues are effective signals for pain but not for illness. Some lesions of the limbic system will disrupt one system such as buzzer-shock, yet spare another such as flavor-illness. Future research will employ cellular recording techniques in the afferent pathways and integrative systems which handle specific signals and reinforcers. Predation serves as a naturalistic model subserving both external (telereceptor-cutaneous) control and internal (gustatory-visceral) regulation. Hunting in mammals is aroused and guided primarily by olfactory input projecting to the limbic system. Attacking is guided principally by vision and reinforced by seizure of the prey. Consumption depends upon palatability of the prey which is regulated by visceral effects. The coyotes attack proved susceptible to prey flesh-illness conditioning but the ferrets did not. Comparative studies of the hawk are important because their specialized attack with talons does not involve taste and is guided by a highly developed visual system. The predatory sequence is analysed in terms of the afferent systems which handle the inputs and conditioning is used to alter the cues and incentives for attack and feeding.